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I am upgrading my HDMI cables with not a lot of money to spend. i have done my research and can conclude that silver is a better conductor than copper but is also a rare commodity thus the higher price. Gold plating on the other hand, which is a poor conductor prevents oxidation that causes audio and video distortion. oxygen oxidises copper thus oxygen free copper is used. The philips HDMI cable is the best that i can afford, and they have the features of all those higher end HDMI cables with the exception of audioquests solid long grain copper conductors. i only need 4 HDMI cables in 1.5 meter lengths. Should i wait another three months to afford audioquest/QED or would the Philips deliver the results i am looking for which is reliability, affordability and performance?

Where are you getting your theories from? Gold is a far better conductor than copper. It has more free electrons at a molecular level. Gold plating is often used in electronics, to provide a corrosion resistant electrically conductive layer on copper.

its one of my hobbies i like indulging myself in. my system keeps me occupied on the weekends and i just wana spend more money on it to make it better and one of a kind! i cant be going to clubs at my age, so why not bring the club home!

its one of my hobbies i like indulging myself in. my system keeps me occupied on the weekends and i just wana spend more money on it to make it better and one of a kind! i cant be going to clubs at my age, so why not bring the club home!

unfortunately (and without wanting to start a whole new round of debate about digital cables...), your unlikely to see or hear any discernible difference from 'upgrading' your HDMI leads unless either your running the leads over a very long distance (which your not), or your existing cables are faulty (is there any reason to believe that they are?). Alternatively, if you frequently disconnect and reconnect your kit for some reason there may be some merit in having a slightly more expensive cable for the benefit of more sturdily constructed, resilient connectors.

Otherwise, if funds are scarce, it may be better to save them towards a more expensive but more beneficial upgrade?

Where are you getting your theories from? Gold is a far better conductor than copper. It has more free electrons at a molecular level. Gold plating is often used in electronics, to provide a corrosion resistant electrically conductive layer on copper. Check this: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/home-entertainment/1292371/expensive-hdmi-cables-make-no-difference-the-absolute-proof Save yourself more money and buy from a good manufacturer like ThatCable. www.ThatCable.com

Gold is certainly not more electrically conductive than copper. Which begs the question: where are you getting your theories from?

Silver is absolutely the best element at conducting a current of electrons, under ordinary conditions. This is followed by copper, which is widely used instead of silver because it is cheaper and only a fraction more resistive. Gold is used to plate contacts because it is a "noble" metal, meaning it does not oxidize easily. It is not used because it conducts better than any others, only for its unreactive properties.